Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-08

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

The best way to provide enough homes in large cities is to build tall apartment blocks.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Building tall apartment blocks is the best solution to get enough homes in large cities. I totally agree with this statement as large cities have to accommodate a large number of population within limited amount of space.

Large cities usually have more number of people moving into the city rather than leaving the city. As time passes, the number of people migrating to the city keeps increasing. Although the city keeps expanding, the real estate is limited and most of the people would like to live in the center or the city. The best solution to accommodate more number of people in a limited space is by building tall apartment blocks. For example, lets take Bangalore, although the city is expanding, everyone wants to stay close to the city center, as a person living in Bangalore and also according to my family and friends, the 30km radius from the city center is only considered living inside the Bangalore city and everyone wants to live in this area, but people come into the city in search of jobs or a better lifestyle everyday. Hence to accommodate more people coming in, new high rise apartments are being built and apartments are very common around my house and in Bangalore.

To conclude, I completely agree with the idea that the best way to provide enough homes in large cities is by building tall apartment blocks as the real estate around the city is limited but the amount of people moving in is always increasing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of high-rise buildings. However, the development is limited. While you provide a relevant example regarding Bangalore, the argument remains somewhat repetitive, focusing almost exclusively on population density and space constraints. To achieve a higher band, you should explore counter-arguments or discuss other factors such as infrastructure, social impact, or environmental sustainability. The ideas are relevant but lack the depth and extension required for a higher score, as the essay relies on a single, somewhat narrow line of reasoning throughout the body paragraph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is coherent and follows a logical progression. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'For example', and 'Hence' to link ideas. However, the paragraphing is underdeveloped; the essay consists of a very short introduction, one long body paragraph, and a brief conclusion. A more balanced structure with two distinct body paragraphs would improve the logical flow. Additionally, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more sophisticated to better connect the sentences within the body paragraph.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You frequently repeat phrases like 'large cities', 'number of people', and 'limited space'. While the meaning is clear, the range of vocabulary is limited to common, everyday terms. To improve, you should incorporate more topic-specific collocations related to urban planning, such as 'urban sprawl', 'high-density housing', 'vertical expansion', or 'infrastructure strain'. There are no significant spelling errors, but the lack of lexical flexibility prevents a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'more number of people' (should be 'a greater number of people') and 'the amount of people' (should be 'the number of people'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the overall impression. You have attempted some complex sentences, but they are often slightly awkward. Increasing your control over articles and countable/uncountable noun usage will help improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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